Suggestions on best sources for bulk sinkers.

[Aiala]

I used to pour my own banks, torpedoes, eggs, rock cods, even rubber cores, but that was a long while ago. I really do prefer rubber core sinkers over sliding eggs for fly lining, but those don't seem to be available in bulk anywhere... just dinky little packets with a few each... ends up being pretty dang costly.   

~A~

[Bill B]

Growing up in the 60's and 70's my dad would do a tune up on his Ford pickup and mom's Chevy nova and we'd have 16 spark plugs for our next fishing trip.....try a auto mechanic and ask for his "trash"....you might be surprised....

[foakes]

When I worked in a shop about 40+ years ago, we had a device bolted to the wall that used compressed air and recycled sand.  Just inserted the electrode end of the spark plug, hit the momentary switch for about 8 seconds -- then regapped the plug -- and it was good as new.

Shops don't get as many plugs as they used to -- since with the new high voltage electronic ignitions, better fuels, and better plugs -- they are designed to last for 100,000 miles.  But I still replace mine every 50K. 

Used to fish with a guy named Jim Heckman.  Retired butcher.  He would use old spark plugs and sugar cubes to hold the plug on as he casted about 80 yards in fresh water lakes.  The cube would melt after reaching the bottom -- and he would have his bait at distance and depth -- with maybe only a split shot to hold it in place.

Worked well -- but even in those days, I felt it was wrong to litter the lake with junk.

I use sinkerstik made out of dissolving mud -- with a hole in it for a loop of line.

Best,

Fred

[steelfish]

Hot lead indoors is not the best of ideas.

The little sandbag trick is a great idea.

Another idea that is cheaper than anything mentioned.


ROCKS, yep, not quartz, though ...too hard as is granite. Only takes a Mohs scale to find the softer ones.

Soapstone is one of the very best.

But free out of the yard, garden where ever you have rocks.

Get a good feel for ounces....3's, 4's, 5's  or the sizes you use in lead the most and collect a bucket full for Free!

Then get a masonry drill bit in the 1/8" diameter or thereabouts and drill a hole half as deep as the size swivel you use for your fish species targeted.

Mix up some JB Weld and toothpick a dab into said hole and shove your swivel to one half of the barrel.

Voila! A nearly free, environmentally friendly, fish stealthy sinker.

I make and use them all the time.

You can even skip the drilling part and find a nook, cranny, dimple or groove in each rock and JB Weld or epoxy the swivel in that spot. I do that too on smooth quartz rocks that don't drill easily.

I mostly use them as sliding sinkers for carp rigs.

Just McGuyver them together.

Even works with big ocean rigs for rockfish and lings under your dropper loops.

I was actually using small stones for light surf fishing 1oz - 2oz max, and I just collect them on the zone I was fishing, just pass 15lb mono light arounf the stone 2-3 and a bunch of knots and you're ready to roll.

but I actually like the idea of drill them and put a swivel there, as a project for the off fishing seasson months

[otownjoe]

X2 on the grateful lead. Fast service and cheap shipping with USPS priority mail.they can stuff a lot of lead in one of the small flat rate boxes for 5.50.shipping

[Dominick]

When I worked in a shop about 40+ years ago, we had a device bolted to the wall that used compressed air and recycled sand.  Just inserted the electrode end of the spark plug, hit the momentary switch for about 8 seconds -- then regapped the plug -- and it was good as new.

Shops don't get as many plugs as they used to -- since with the new high voltage electronic ignitions, better fuels, and better plugs -- they are designed to last for 100,000 miles.  But I still replace mine every 50K.  

Used to fish with a guy named Jim Heckman.  Retired butcher.  He would use old spark plugs and sugar cubes to hold the plug on as he casted about 80 yards in fresh water lakes.  The cube would melt after reaching the bottom -- and he would have his bait at distance and depth -- with maybe only a split shot to hold it in place.

Worked well -- but even in those days, I felt it was wrong to litter the lake with junk.

I use sinkerstik made out of dissolving mud -- with a hole in it for a loop of line.

Best,

Fred

Fred thanks for that memory.  I forgot all about that cleaner.  I thought it was glass beads instead of sand.  But what do I know.  We also used to soak old plugs in gasoline and use a wire brush to clean them and re-gap.  Only the rich kids used new plugs.  All we had were junkers.    Dominick

[Eddie K]

Become a certified scuba diver, and retrieve all the lead sinkers you want.  I collected a lot of lead off of Beach 8th St., Far Rockaway, N.Y. back in the '90's, in fact, I collected so much lead, I still have a few ounces left.

[bluefish69]

Eddie

If you went to Sea Bright you could sink a good size boat in a few hours.

Mike

[TomT]

Like any one else of "age".   we have all used cheap sinkers.  One of the most common was the used spark plugs--many garages would give you their used plugs.  I also remember some little canvas bags with draw strings.  You would fill them with the desired weight of sand or---- and tie of the draw strings and attach them to your line.  If they broke off, all you lost was this cheap little bag.  I believe those little bags were originally designed for tobacco, but as I was never a smoker, I don't know.  I do know that you could buy them in bulk cheaply from sporting goods stores to be used as sinkers.  In hindsight this was probably the most environmentally safe form of a sinker.
TomT

[Aiala]

I've got to buy some 16-20 oz torpedo weights for my upcoming 8-day. Lead Bandit seems like a reasonable source (shipping is a flat 7.99) unless anyone has had a bad experience buying from them?

~A~

[Long Enuff]

I have ordered from Lead Bandit five or six times, never had a problem.

Bill

[Aiala]

I have ordered from Lead Bandit five or six times, never had a problem. Bill

Bill, great news... thanks! I'll go ahead and send in my order.   

~A~

[conchydong]

They are in my local area Aiala. If they screw your order up let me know.
Actually, I have bought from them directly and they seem to be decent folks.

Have a blast on your 8 day.

Scott

[Todd Jacobsen]

I also have ordered from Bandit many times as I mentioned on an earlier reply. Just ordered some the other day no issues. I also just ordered 100 plus lbs of weight to pour this,weekend. I let the older neighborhood boys pour the lead and then keep what they pour and give away the rest to the kids that need it. Looking at buying more molds now and having fun watching the young boys learn. And yes they wear safety equipment.

[Bill B]

Recently I went on a spur of the moment deep sea trip and needed 10 oz sinkers, not having 10 oz but lots of 2 and 3 oz sinkers, I found some aluminum cigar tubes laying around used the water displacement method, dropped 10 oz of lead in a large water filled jar marked the jar removed the sinkers then pushed the cigar tube down until I displaced the water to the 10 oz mark marked the tubes, twisted some coat hangers into eyelets, melted the 2 and 3 oz in a soup can, stood the cigar tubes in dirt filled clay pots and poured, stuffed the eyelets into the molten lead....presto cheapo 10 oz sinkers....ooops more like 12 oz but I got to the ocean floor REALLY fast.....